Monrovia: President John Dramani Mahama, on Saturday, joined President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the people of Liberia to celebrate their 178th Independence Day in Monrovia. The event took place at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Montserrado County, witnessing the presence of heads of states from the subregion, including the Presidents of Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau. Representatives from the governments of Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Gambia were also in attendance.

According to African Press Organization, Liberia utilized the occasion to honor ECOWAS member states that contributed troops to the multinational peacekeeping force, ECOMOG. This force was pivotal in ending the civil war and securing humanitarian corridors during the Liberian war. The celebration, themed “One people, one destiny, healing the past and building the future,” emphasized reflection on the past, the need for reconciliation, and fostering a united national identity to rebuild a peaceful Liberia rich in natural resources.

President Mahama was accompanied by the Minister for Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Lt. General William Agyapong, and Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Stanislav Xoese Dogbe.